McHenry Co. religion notes

To include your church in the free listings, e-mail to foxvalley@dailyherald.com, fax to (847) 608-0849, or mail to 385 Airport Road, Suite A, Elgin IL 60123.

Tikkun Olam: Instead of the monthly service at the Congregational Unitarian Church, the Friday service for Congregation Tikkun Olam in Crystal Lake will be held jointly with Sun City's Shalom Group at the outdoor pavilion at Sun City. This is a family service and all are welcome. For details and directions, call (815) 334-7110.

New Life Baptist: On Sunday, the Rev. Mark Wood will continue sermon series titled "Building a Strong Foundation" from the book of 1 Corinthians at the 10:30 a.m. service at New Life Baptist Church, 9228 Trinity Drive in Lake in the Hills. The annual church picnic takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The fun, fellowship, games, and good food can be found at Deicke Park located on Route 47 in Huntley.

New Life begins each Sunday with Sunday school classes for infants, children, youth, and adults begin at 9:15 a. m. A College and Career Class, taught by Brandon Hancock, recently started meeting on Sunday morning.

Child care is available during the morning worship service for infants through 3-year-olds; children's church is held for children, age 4 through second grade.

A baptismal service will be held during morning worship on June 29 and vacation Bible school will be held the week of Aug. 4-8 at the church.

Small Bible study groups meet each week in Algonquin, Huntley, Lake in the Hills, and Woodstock. The church men play basketball at 6 p.m. Thursdays at the church.

For details, call (847) 458-9726 or visit www.newlifebaptist-il.com.

First Congregational: On Sunday, the Rev. Michelle McNamara's sermon will be "Jesus' Bluntness is Sharp" based on Matthew 10:24-39, in the 9 and 10:30 a.m. services at the First Congregational Church, 11628 E. Main St. in Huntley. A women's trio consisting of Lynne Kern, Marcia Cahill and Sandra Ferguson will sing in both services.

The Sunday school aged children will watch a video during the first service. During the 10:30 a.m. service, Anthony Joseph Amici, son of Anthony and Robyn Amici, will be baptized. The godparents are Allison Davis and Peter Ruscheinski.

The Knit/Crochet Group will meet at 1 p.m. on Wednesday at the church.

Vacation Bible school will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Monday to Friday. The theme is "Outer Space Adventure." Children age 3 through those entering sixth grade are welcome. The cost is $10 for the week. Advanced registration is appreciated but not required. For details, call the church at (847) 669-3691 or visit www.firsthuntley.org.

St. John Lutheran: This weekend, the Rev. William Stroup will deliver the message, "A Most Dramatic Rescue," based on Jeremiah 20:7-13, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday at St. John Lutheran Church, 300 Jefferson St., Algonquin. Adult Bible class is at 9:15 a.m. Sunday. A supervised nursery is offered at the 9 a.m. service.

On June 29, there will be a 9 a.m. worship in Towne Park followed by a picnic barbecue after the service. The July 4 patriotic service will be held the weekend of July 5-6.

The Mission Resale Shop, located on Washington Street, is open on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Gifts and good quality used clothing, and small household items can be purchased at reasonable prices. Donations are gratefully appreciated, and proceeds benefit mission work locally and afar. Call (847) 658-9300 or visit www.stjohnsalgonquin.org.

St. John's Lutheran School offers a day school program for first to eighth grade; all-day kindergarten and morning and afternoon preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Church membership is not required. To register or schedule a school tour, call Principal John Kirchhoff at (847) 658-9311.

Shepherd of the Prairie: On Sunday, the Rev. Mark Boster will preach at both services at Shepherd of the Prairie Lutheran Church. The 9 a.m. traditional and 10:30 a.m. contemporary services are held at the Cosman Cultural Center, 12051 Mill St., Huntley. Holy Communion will be celebrated at each service. Nursery care is available at both services.

Sunday will be the annual church golf outing. It will be held at Waters Edge Golf Course. Sign-up sheets will be available at the Welcome Table.

Music rehearsals are at the Citizens Bank in Huntley. On Tuesday, the first music team will meet at 5 p.m. and the second music team at 6 p.m. at Citizens Bank.

Starting Tuesday, Bible study group will begin the study of "3:16-Numbers of Hope." Sign up at the Welcome Table. This Bible session will run through Aug. 26.

Shepherd's Prayer Hour meeting will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Citizens Bank.

Continue to collect supplies for "Homeless Helpers". PADS needs toiletries and sunscreen lotion.

On Friday, seniors will go to Summerwood Amphitheater in Rockford. The concert will be "Patriotic Celebration. Sign up at the Welcome Table. The church office is in Citizens First National Bank, 12101 Regency Square, Huntley. Call (847) 515-3711 or visit www.sotp.org.

Faith Community: On Sunday, the Rev. Bruce Cole will lead worship with the sermon, "All Things in Common," based on the scripture from Acts 2:42, at 9 and 10:30 a.m. at Faith Community Church, 10547 Faiths Way in Huntley. Holy Communion will be celebrated. Nursery for children up to age 3 is available at both services as well as Sunday school for children from age 4 through second grade.

Alcoholics Anonymous holds a weekly "closed" meeting at noon Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Mondays. On Tuesdays, TOPS meets at 11:30 a.m.

Adult Bible studies are offered Wednesdays. At 9 a.m., study the text for the upcoming Sunday. At 7 p.m., they will study the book of Mark.

"Discover the Power of God's Love" at vacation Bible School this year. Registration is now open for the program on July 28 to Aug. 1. Cost is $35 per child for kids in preschool through fifth grade. Call the church office at (224) 569-6501 for registration information.

Call (224) 569-6501 or visit www.fccwired.tv.

Preschool registration is now open. Call Michelle Sullivan at (224) 569-6512 for information or a tour.

Unitarian church: On Sunday, the Congregational Unitarian Church, 221 Dean St., Woodstock, will discuss marriage at the 10:45 a.m. service. In "For Better or For Worse," the Rev. Dan Larsen will conduct a symposium on marriage during the service. He will speak, a mystery couple from the church will share their marital secrets, and the church will ask you for yours. For details, call (815) 338-0731, e-mail office@cucw.org or visit www.cucw.org.First Congregational: On Sunday, the summer worship schedule continues at 10 a.m. at First Congregational Church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake. Those who wish are welcome to come at 9:45 a.m. to join in a Hymn Sing. The Rev. Bette Zattau will speak on the topic "Re-establishing Lost Hope."On Thursday, FCC's Moms' Time Out group will meet at the Cary Lions Park band shell at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring an appetizer, salad or dessert to share. They will enjoy food and fellowship as they listen to the "Caribbean Rock" of Mr. Myers. RSVP to Beth Gier, (847) 639-4586.On Friday, the Pilgrim Fellowship high school youth group will leave for their summer work camp at Wakpala, S.D. They will return July 5.On June 28, the men's fellowship will have their monthly breakfast. Some of the volunteers who have just returned from working on a South Dakota Indian reservation will speak about their experiences.For details, call (815) 459-6010 or visit fcc-cl.org.Light of Christ: This weekend, the Rev. Kendall Koenig begins a new sermon series, "How Can I Be Sure - About the Bible?" with his sermon, "What About Those Dinosaurs?" at Light of Christ Lutheran Church, 100 Hanson Road, Algonquin. The Rev. Kendall Koenig is senior pastor and the Rev. Sharon Rogers is associate pastor. The Scripture reading for the sermon is taken from II Timothy 3:14-17.The church's service opportunity for families will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 28. They will spend a day with Faith in Action of McHenry County by serving older adults in the area with yard work, simple home maintenance and other services. Sign up in the Welcome Center at the church.The senior high youth are sponsoring a "Dog and Car Wash" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 28 at two locations: Light of Christ Church, 100 Hanson Road and Willow Funeral Home on Route 62 east of Hanson Road. Proceeds support the youth mission trip to Alamosa, Miss.Registration for all summer camps is open. "Camp on the Rock" day camp for first through fifth grades runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Basketball camp for ages 10-13 runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 29-Aug, 1. Theatre Camp is full. Vacation Bible school for preschool to fifth grade will be held Aug. 4-8. The morning session for grade school students is full and afternoon sessions are available for all ages.Beginning June 16, Light of Christ Church is adding an additional worship service at 6:30 p.m. Mondays for the summer months for those families who are unable to worship on the weekends.For details, call Joanne Weber at (847) 658-9250.Bethany Lutheran: The Rev. Harold J. Hoekstra, senior pastor, will share the message at the new summer worship times at 8:30 and 10 a.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, 76 W. Crystal Lake Ave. in Crystal Lake. Childcare is provided during the 10 a.m. service during the summer months.Summer Sunday school program meets at 10 a.m. Sunday through Aug. 24.Highlights in June include an outreach helping at the Crystal Lake Food Pantry and collecting items for Layette Kits for Lutheran World Relief. Confirmation classes wrap up the year with the seventh-grade confirmands doing a Servant Event from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Zion Development Corp., Rockford, a ministry of Zion Lutheran Church.The senior ministry group will take a day trip to the Hindu temple in Bartlett on June 16. They will meet at 9 a.m. at the church to car pool. A sending and reception for intern Michelle Magee will be held the morning of June 29. She returns to seminary this fall to complete her studies.The food pantry will be staffed by Bethany members June 30. Bookers at Bethany meets at 7 p.m. June 30. This month's book is "Blue Water" by A. Manette Ansay.The annual Christmas in July focus begins July 6 and continues throughout the month. Vacation Bible school, "Power Lab" is set for 9 a.m. to noon July 14-18. Registration is under way. For details, call the church office.For details, call (815) 459-2690 or visit www.bethanylc.com. Preschool registration for fall 2008 continues. Programs are available for 2- to 5-year-olds. For details, call Marcia Baker, preschool director, at (815) 477-7463.McHenry County Church of Religious Science: The McHenry County Church of Religious Science, Center for Spiritual Evolution is exploring the four secrets of prayer on Sundays during the month of June. This series is based on the spiritual novel, "The Prayer Chest." Since the beginning of time, every man and woman has prayed millions of prayers daily. Why then are only a handful of them answered? This week you will discover how prayer is answered when you welcome everything. "I am open to receive all of life's riches," is their daily prayer this month. The musician is Amy Beth.Everyone is welcome to attend the 10 a.m. Sunday Celebration Service at 204 Spring St., lower level in Cary. There is a children's program and toddler care. If you arrive early, there is a meditation at 9:45 a.m.The children's curriculum is "Spiritual Practices for Kids." June lessons relate to the Thanksgiving step of spiritual prayer treatment. Your kids will uncover wholeness and eliminate thoughts of lack and limitation. This week's topic for kindergarten through fifth grade is "Release - The Fourth Step of Treatment."There is a Tuesday morning mediation with Bhanta Sujatha at 10 a.m. for a $10 donation. The weekly healing service is at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Healing services at The Center for Spiritual Evolution are popular and known for their uplifting effect with concentrated high vibrational energies revealing spiritual perfection in all areas of our life. The pastor will deliver a short message leaving ample time for prayer, meditation, and spiritual mind treatment by she and the church's professional practitioners in response to your healing requests. As a trans-denominational church, all services and activities are open to everyone without obligation. For details, call (847) 516-1950 or visit www.newthoughtmchenry.org.The Metaphsical discussion group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at The School of Intuitive Arts and Sciences, 314 Northwest Hwy., Fox River Grove. The topic this month is "Energy Healing." All are welcome.Congregational Church of Algonquin: On Sunday, the Rev. Brian Cope will preach at the 10 a.m. service at the Congregational Church of Algonquin, 109 Washington St. The message is based on Genesis 21:8-21, Psalms 86:1-10, 16-17; 69:7-10, 11-18, Jeremiah 20:7-13, Romans 6:1b-11, and Matthew 10:24-39. On Sunday, the church will be receiving new members at the 10 a.m. service.Summer vacation Bible school will be from 9 a.m. to noon Monday to Friday. "Cosmic City" is the theme for this year. Join them for a cosmic blast starring: Alien Antoinette, Solar Sam the Scientist, Superspace Sadie the Ultimate Snack Lady, Asteroid Ally and more Superstars. To get a registration form, call the church office at (847) 658-5308.For information, call the church office (847) 658-5308.Shop at the Heavenly Attic Resale Shop, 307 S. Main St. in Algonquin. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The church is handicap accessible at the rear entrance. For details, call (847) 658-5308.St. Paul's Anglican Church: At St. Paul's Anglican Church, a traditional Episcopal Church, the Rev. Michael DuCette, vicar, will use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer to celebrate the Holy Eucharist at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at the former First Presbyterian Church, 225 W. Calhoun St., Woodstock.The sermon will be based on the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Bible study will resume in the fall.Synod XXIII of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley/Anglican Church in America will be held June 3-5 in Des Moines, Iowa. See Mike Hepperlen for details.St. Paul's Parish is part of the Diocese of the Missouri Valley Anglican Church of America. For details, visit www.acahome.org or call (815) 338-0205.